Egg tray eos   incubators



J. IF. MaCKAY EGG TRAY FOR INCUBATORS Nov.

originan Filed 513131.21, 1921 2 sheets-sheet 1 ,gf 1 1 k 1 Nov. 8, 192 7.

1,648,186 J. F. MaCKAY EGG TRAY FOR INC'UBATORS Original Filed Sept. Bl, 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented lilov. 12557. I!

UNITED STATS asians rare-'r orties.

JOHN F. MAGKAY, OF LANCASTER, PENNSYLVANA.

`EGG TRAY FR ENCUBATORS.

Drignal application filed September 21, 1921, Serial No. 502,129. Divided and. this application led October 17, 1922, Serial No. 595,180.

This invention relates to certain neyv and useful improvements in egg-trays for ncu` turned as often as may be required, and that f effective regulative adjustments may, be

made with facility from time to time as may be required. More particularly, l aim to provide a strongand inexpensive egg tray With simple egg-turning provisions; to pro-- vide combined and selective egg-turning operation for a plurality of trays; and to permit easy 'removal and replacement of a tray Without derangement of the egg-turning means. These and other advantages can be conveniently realized in the construction, arrangement and combination of parts, substantially as hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawing, illustrat- 'V ing the invention:

Figure 1 is a verticall section of my improved incubator, on the line 1, 1, of Fig* ure 2.

Figure 2 is a vertical section `of the same taken at right angles to the section of Figure 1, on the line 2, 2, of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is an enlarged horizontal planY space 11, that are in communication with each other, said side spaces also communieating at their ends with the bottom interior of the inner casing 2 at the'bcttom. The

Renewed Ecbruary 2, 1927.

outer casing l is lined interiorly, or covered out-side or in, or both, With an insulation or covering of asbestos or similar 1naterial la, so that the heat will be retained; and the inner casing 2 is similarly provided With an insulation coating or covering 2a. ln the top of the inner casing 2 is a circular opening 35, in Which is mounted a fan or blower 13, driven by an electric or other 'motor 14: supported by a bracket 141th The inner chamber 2 is fitted With a door 9, hinged at 9a, andl preferably provided with glass so that the contents of the chamber may be readily inspected; andthe outer chamber is provided with a door 10, hinged 10, and preferably made solid and located opposite and closely adjacent the glass door 9, so as to cover and protect the same. The lower part. of the casing 1 is furnished with a door 36, hinged at 36, Which gives convei'iient access to the moisture pan 6.

Within the inner chamber or casing 2 are a plurality of trays 16, containing eggs, as 34. These trays 16 are arranged closely one above another, and slide easily in and out on the -horizontal side ledges or'cleats 15 `Which are secured on the inside surface of the Wall of casing 2.

The trays -16 are constructedy in the man- 'ner'shown in detail in Figures'l and 5. As

` shown to hold said sections more firmly and keep them in place. The movable intermediate section 19 is usually larger than the others and (in its mid-position, Fig, 3) overlaps them, and slides thereon or thereover. By displacing and removing one of the`sections 18, 18, an opening is left in the: tray bottom. All these sections 18, 18 .and `19 are preferably frames With Wire gauze, Wire mesh, sieve material, or other open Work, so

that the Warm air may readily pass thereL through and come into contact with the eggs en all nit the To tions or cross-rods can be readily removed in disassembling the parts. r1`hese partitions u2O* are preferably somewhat above the bottom I Thus all the parts ot the tray can be taken apart. The

.enter notches 39 in the sides ot the tray traine 37 so that the rollers may be free to revolve as the sliding bottom 19 is moved oradjusted back and forth, and may also be freely taken out ot the tray when the parts are disassembled loi' cleaning or other purposes. Thus all the sections 18, 18 and 19 of the bottoni can be quickly and easily removed or replaced.

rllhe movable bottom sections 19 in the trays 16 enable the eggs to be turned at proper periods, so as to expose all sides to the heat and otherwise regulate or improve the in-,

cubation. 'l`he stationary egg-supporting sections 18,18 being comparatively narrow, relatively short cross-wise movements of the ends ot' the egg-supporting bottoms 19 over and odor them will turn all the eggs on both movable and stationary sections. ln order tor secure this turning result the better, there are obstacles or battles against which the y eggsmay `contact when the bottom slides; Y and to p rovide these fiat partitions or bars 2O are employed, the ends ot which take into small notches or openings 25 in the sides ot traine 37,-troin which notches 25 the parti* section 19, as seen in Figure Ll.

frame 37,.with its battlesl 20, restrains the v.eggs from moving bodily with the bottom 19 toany great extent, so that they are con- ,strainedto roll and turn over as it moves under them as described. As shown, Vthe ybattles 20, 20 are solocated that the bottom section`19 never moves out from under the 4eggs between them. f rihe movementsof the bottom19 are limited, by the ends ot the l frame 37, so that there is no iisl; of its sliding out trom under the eggs when the tray is tiltedatter removal trom the incubator.

The sliding sections 19 of the several trays .16 are operated simultaneously by connectinghmechanism consisting of horizontal slid- ,ing rods 2Tk and 28 running through passages .or supports inthe casings 1 and 2, one or both. l`he inner ends ot rods 2T and 28 are v.forked or hooked at 33 to loosely engage lugs ,toi-med by pins 26 on ysections 19. yThe rods Y 2T 4may be connected together and with rods @28 by aI cross-piece 29 inside ot space 3, and fthe outside ends of rods 2T. may beconnected Abyna cross-piece 30. Ascrew. 31 having a handle 32 passes through a nut in lcross-piece SOand has a head mounted or yj ournaled loosely in a recess in the wall ot easing 1.

of the invention.

each comprising a ltraine and l tions. some ofthe latter being lined rilfhe revolution ot the sci'cw 31 reciprocates the rods 27 and 28 and moves the sliding sections 19 in one direction or the other so as to turn the eggs.

ltl will thus be clearly understood that by an easy,manipulation of the screw handle 32 the movable sections 19 ot the egg trays can be shifted so as to turn the eggs as may be required at intervals during the hatching operation, since tlie movement ot the sections 19 the eggs against each other and u tlie partitions 2O and the sides of the trays. and thus causes the eggs to roll ot er and change their position.

, tis desirable to throw some ot the trays out oitiservice at times, so tar as egg turning is conowned-inasmuch as different trays may be iilled with eggs with different incubation periods. For this purpose, the operating mechanism may be .selectively discon nccted trom any trays whose eggs are not to be turned. @ne way oit doing this is to ar range the pins with which the sliding bottoms 19 are provided so that they drop loosely into the open ended slots ot the actuatiim; hooks or claws 33 on the ends ot the operating rods 27 and Q8 and can be easily retracted and withdrawn from the claws and the tray bottoms 19 whenever any tray is selected to be uncoupledand taken out ot service or allowed to remain a longer time without turning ot its eggs.Y This, of course, entails no change in the vertical positions ot the trays. Pins 2G have heads 2Q and washers v23, and easily drop through sleeves or sockets d() made 'last in sections 19.

v-Jithoutl derangen'ient oi the turning mechanism.

Many changesinay be made in the details of construction without exceeding the scope The mechanism :tor shitting the position ofthe sliding tray )ottoni may be widely changed and substituted, and in general the embodiment ot the invention may be n'ioditied as required to suit special cases within the `mits of the claims. n

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed new yand desired to be secured by Letters Patent, is: Y

1. `ln an incubator, a series of e^ fr trays. toni scf'- aiid one relativelyl movable, in combination with means for moving the latter,l consistingot series of rods connected together, and removable means for engaging said. rods with the fi d ' ing the sliding sections.

movable sections and disengaging them iudividually therefrom so as to cut out one or more sections when desired.

2. In an incubator, a series of egg trays, each comprising a frame and bottom sections, some of the latter being .tiXcd and one relatively movable, in combination with means for moving the latter, consisting of a plurality of connected rods and a common screw device 'for said roes, tege her with a removable loose pin on each movable section for connecting said section With one of the rods and enabling said section to be disconnected from. its rod when desired.

'3. ln an incubator, a series of egg trays consisting of a frame and a. bottom comprising tired sections and a relatively sliding section, rollers supporting the latter and cross partitions against which the eggs contact in turning, together with means for actuating the sliding bottom sections of one or more trays, and means on each sliding section for selectively cutting out of service the tray to which .said section belongs, said means consisting of a removable device loosely engaging an opening in the mechanism for actuating the sliding sections.

et. ln an incubator, a series of trays consisting of a frame and a bottom comprising fined sections and a relatively sliding section, removable rollers having loose end journals supporting the said sliding section, transverse removable partitions held in notches in the sides of the frame against which the eggs contact in turning, together With means for actuating the sliding bottom sections of one or more trays, and means on each tray for selectively cutting said tray out of service, consisting of a removable pin on the sliding section of the tray loosely en gaging an opening in the means for actuat- 5. In an incubator, a series of egg trays consisting of a frame and a bottom having fixed sections anda relatively sliding section, removable rollers supporting the sliding section, obstacles carried by the sides of the tray frames against Which the eggs contact in turning, and means connecting with a greater or less number of the said trays for jointly actuating the sliding sections, and means on each tray for selectively cutting said vtray out of service, consisting of a removable pin on the sliding section of the tray loosely engaging an opening in vthe means for actuating the sliding sections.

6. In an incubator, a series of egg traysv consisting of a frame and a bottom having fined sections and a relatively sliding section, removable rollers supliorting the slid ing section, obstacles carried by the sides of the tray frames against Which the eggs con.- tact in turning, and means connecting with a greater or less number of the said trays for jointly actuating the sliding sections,

said means consisting of rods having openings in their inner ends, together with removable pins on the sliding `sections Which engage in said openings.

7. An incubator egg-tray including an egg-restraining frame, and means for turning eggs therein comprising egg-supporting bottom sections one movable back and forth Vover and off of another.

8. An incubator egg-tray including an cgg-restraining frame, and means for turning eggs tl ercin. comprising major and minor egg-supporting bottom sections, the forincr novable back and forth over the latter so as t-o turn the eggs on both by comparatively short movements.

9. fin incubator egg tray including an egg-restraining frame, and means for turning eggs therein comprising egg-supporting bottom sections carried thereby, one displaceable leaving a bottom opening, and another movable back and forth over and ott of the first When in place.

l0. An incubator egg-tray including a frame with side and end Walls and transverse egg-Iiiatlles, and a bottom for supporting the between said baffles sliding back and forth from end to enclin the frame beneath them and limited in its movements by the frame ends, thus turning all such eggs concurrently by its movement.

ll. An incubator,egg-tray h ving a frame and a bottom comprising*egg-supporting sections removablymounted therein, one mov able baclr and forth over and olf of another, and battles above said bottom sections removably mounted on the frame.

l2. An incubator egg tray having egg baffles and a bottom comprising major and minor egg supporting sections, the minor eX- tending across the endof the tray and the major being movable back and forth beneath the bai-ties in egg-turning movements in which its end portion moves back and forth across the minor section, so as to turn all the eggs on both sections by comparatively short movements.

13. ln an incubator, an egg tray having'a sectional bottom, egg baiiies, and means for moving the major portion of said bottom back and forth over minor end portions, whereby to turn eggs supported on all of said bottom portions.

lt. In an incubator, in combination, anA

tray, a sectional egg-supporting bottom in said tray, egg baffles, said bottom comprising a stationary section at each end reaching from side to side of the tray and amovable intermediate section reaching from side to side of the tray and adapted to be moved back and forth therein so that when moving in either direction one end of the intern'iediate section will be advanced over one end section and the opposite end Will be drawn from the other end section, whereby all the eggs will be turned by comparetively short movement ot the intermediate bottom section, and means i'or so moving said intermediate bottom section.

15. A tray ot' the character described com prising ai main trame, a screen covered bottom trame slidably n'lonnted in the main iframe and 'forming an egg support, and ree movable end sections carried by the main trame a` d a so 'oraiing bottom sections for the main trame.

16. A. tray oi' the character described comprisingf main frame. z. screen covered bottom l'ranie slidably mounted in the main frame and fori/ning support7 removable end sections carried by the main trame and also it'ormingj bottom sections tor the main trame7 and means for imparting a` ciprocal movement to the screen covered bottom trame Within the main trame.

17. A tray of the character described comprising a main 'trameI a screen covered bottom Jframe fllidably mounted in the main trame and forming an ee'g support removable end sections carried by the main iframe and also forming bottom sections for the main trame, and remmiable cross-rods disposed above the screen covered bottom trame and carried by the main frame.

'18. A tray ot tbe character described comprising a main trame, a screen covered bottom 'trame slidably mounted in the main frame and forming an egg support, removable end sections carried by the main frame and aise forming; bottom sections Jtor the Tame, reniovable cross-rods disposed i screen covered bottom trame and carrier' by the main frame, and means lor imparting a reciprocal movement to the screen covered. bottom trame.

19. I. tray ot the character described com- .ig a r'iain :trame a. pair ot normally stationary but removable bottom end sec tions therctor, a screen trame covering the remainin bottom 1portion oit the main trame, means permitt' o; sliding` movement of the screen transe vv; relation to the removable end bottom sections, and means ttor manually imparting` sliding movement to the Fei-een trame.

Q0. tray ot the character described com- L main. iframe, a pair ot' normally stationary but removable bottom end sections tberc'li'or5 a Screen frame covering the remaining' bottom portion of the main es permitting sliding movement oit' the ser-een trame Ywith relation to the re- 'i bottom Sections, means for mantng sliding movement to the e, said mez comprising a manted sliding member, and a lug on tbe se, een trame engaged thereby.

En tesein'zony whereof hereunto ailix my above .fx1 attire.

MAGKAY. 

